


How's one to know?

by bluexbell



Series: invisible string 'verse [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Actor Anakin Skywalker, Actor Obi-Wan Kenobi, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, And he gets them!!, Boba Fett is like a mini bodyguard, Bodyguard Jango Fett, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Jedi Council as Acting School, Manager Cody, Manager Rex, Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Obi-Wan loves tea, Parental Plo Koon, Plo Koon is not Boba's father but he is very proud of him, Press and Tabloids, Protective Anakin Skywalker, Seriously he drinks a lot of tea, Stalker situation, Star Wars Alternate Universe - No Force, The Home Alone type, Their job is to wrangle Obi-Wan and Anakin from causing chaos, Tiny Bodyguard Boba Fett
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28812033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluexbell/pseuds/bluexbell
Summary: “Anakin?” Obi-Wan whispers, physically incapable of looking away from the sight in front of him. “Are you one-hundred percentsurethis is the man you’ve been contacting? He looks more like…” Obi-Wan frowns, not finding the appropriate word.“A weirdo in a helmet?” Anakin suggests.Obi-Wan nods. “Yes.” He sips on his tea absently.Oh, did he forget to say? The fact that Fett came in biker gear is not even the most bizarre thing, considering there is achildwearing a tiny suit at his feet, glaring at Anakin as if he'd personally offended him.Really, Obi-Wan muses, he had practically raised Anakin, he should've known better than to agree to this "security details" plan Anakin cooked up for him.It is bound to explode at their faces.(Or the Celebrity!AU in which Obi-Wan is a big time actor and Anakin is his student. A crazy stalker almost got to Obi-Wan last week and Anakin came up with a plan: hire a bodyguard.The bodyguard in question? Jango Fett.)
Relationships: Boba Fett & Obi-Wan Kenobi, CC-2224 | Cody & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jango Fett & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Tea
Series: invisible string 'verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2097873
Comments: 5
Kudos: 67





	1. i. The Bodyguard

**Author's Note:**

> hello and welcome to the second installment of the Model/Celeb!AU :D this series will be focusing on prequel characters, especially Obi-Wan and Anakin! More characters will also come and grace their presence later, though. 
> 
> this bodyguard arc will likely have 3 chapters, we'll see! i had so much fun writing this, so hopefully you guys will enjoy <3 also, prompts and ideas for this au are very much appreciated!!

Obi-Wan finds himself, yet again, arguing with Anakin inside his dressing room for the nth time this week. The argument is getting quite old, and Obi-Wan cannot help but wish that Cody would whisk him to the studio already. 

Sadly, they had left on time today and thus he has an extra hour before shooting that he’s forced to spend by appeasing Anakin on this verbal back-and-forth.

“I am  _ not  _ going to need a protection detail, Anakin.” Obi-Wan says, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“ _Bodyguards_ , Obi-Wan. You’re a celebrity! It is literally the norm to have a bodyguard!” Anakin pushes annoyingly, frowning in a way that Obi-Wan knows as a sign that he had set his mind and would not budge at all. He seemed to be very adamant too, and Obi-Wan had firsthand experience on just how stubborn his charge can be. 

Obi-Wan sighs, already longing for a quieter time in his flat on Coruscant. Preferably over a nice, steaming cup of tea. “Yes, Anakin. I do know what celebrity does. In fact, I have been doing this longer than you, and I can tell you with confidence that I don’t  _ need  _ a bodyguard. Much less four of them.” Obi-Wan counters. He picks up the cup of tea that has been rapidly cooling from the table, seeking comfort from its residual warmth. This is not the same brand he's stocked in his flat, but he'll take it over no tea at all.

Honestly, Anakin can be quite overprotective over the people he cared about; and that in itself would be endearing  _ if _ he wasn’t being overbearing. Like this discussion, for an instance. 

Obi-Wan’s eyes flutter closed at the sound of Anakin groaning dramatically,  _ “Urgh!” _

He must be pulling at his hair too. Those poor hairstylists… 

Obi-Wan tells him as such. “Cease that, Anakin. Have pity on Kix and Jesse.”

Apparently going deaf in the face of Obi-Wan’s own brand of stubbornness, Anakin chooses to ignore him. He rises up, rounding in front of Obi-Wan’s face. “I know you think you can take care of yourself because of your self-defense classes and crap, but the stalker is clearly escalating! There was an attempt for your life, Obi-Wan! For kriff’s sake, at least just have one bodyguard to shadow you outside? Please?” Anakin pleads, summoning his best puppy eyes. It should’ve looked ridiculous for a grown man like Anakin, but Obi-Wan is ashamed to say that the trick might still work on him.

This close, with his dark hair strewn messily and a pout on his face, Obi-Wan is painfully reminded of the nine years old boy he’d met all those years ago, who talked a lot but huddled behind him whenever a stranger came too close. Obi-Wan remembers a time when he absolutely couldn’t say no to those blue eyes and chubby cheeks. He’s better at it now, but it still tug his heart to see Anakin begging like this.

Contrary to Anakin’s belief, Obi-Wan  _ does _ understand the stake here. Celebrities have stalkers sometimes, and that’s normal. Usually, they wouldn’t do more other than follow him around. And maybe take some pictures, or more drastically, they could go hoarding celeb's personal items in unconventional and creepy ways. But they would either flake out or even be caught in the process. Then they would just be reported to the authorities and be dealt with it. But this time is… slightly different, he admits. And although Obi-Wan is confident in both of his  _ and  _ Cody’s ability to defend themselves against persistent fans, Anakin seems to think otherwise.

Seeing that Obi-Wan hasn’t relented, Anakin switches tactics. One that even he himself couldn’t refute. 

“Okay, think about this. What if, instead of you, it was  _ me  _ who had a stalker point a knife at my face, huh? Or Ahsoka? Wouldn’t you be worried as well?” Anakin challenges. He has the ‘I-actually-know-better-than-you-this-time’ voice that Obi-Wan liked to use down to a pat.

Well, now. If he put it like that… 

Heaving out a big sigh, Obi-Wan relents. “Fine. One bodyguard, and he stays only on public appearances. I don’t want them waiting for me when I have a shoot.” He agrees reluctantly. If anything, this would appease Cody’s worry as well as Anakin’s. 

Anakin lets out a happy ‘whoop!’, and Obi-Wan smiles in the memory of the little boy who liked to shout ‘yippee!’ whenever he’s excited.

Some things just never change.

* * *

Obi-Wan should've known better, by the look of Anakin’s satisfied smirk, that he wasn’t going to let go of the issue quite so easily. Anakin is stubborn, but he is doubly so when he knows that he’s right.

Really, Obi-Wan muses, he had practically raised the boy, he has seen some of the most bizzare shenanigans concocted from one Anakin Skywalker’s mind. But this one might just take the cake.

Obi-Wan had agreed to one bodyguard for Anakin’s sake.  _ One _ . Trust Anakin to find the most unorthodox person to fill in the role, now standing in front of them in Obi-Wan’s dressing room.

The bodyguard (if he could even be called that) is nothing like Obi-Wan has seen before. The man was shorter than him, but he made it up in the broadness of his figure, with wide shoulders and his back ramrod straight like that of a soldier. He’s also sporting a literal helmet.  _ Indoors.  _

Judging by his relaxed stance and the arms crossed in front of his chest, the man must have not noticed (or care?) that his future employers are looking at him very strangely. Obi-Wan is suddenly uncertain whether Anakin had  _ really  _ interviewed him before this meeting.

“Anakin?” Obi-Wan whispers, physically incapable of looking away from the sight in front of him. “Are you one-hundred percent  _ sure  _ this is the man you’ve been contacting? He looks more like…” Obi-Wan frowns, not finding the appropriate word.

“A weirdo in a helmet?” Anakin suggests.

Obi-Wan nods. “Yes.” He sips on his tea absently. It wouldn't be nice if the tea had gone cold, so he finishes it quickly.

“Another thing, Anakin.” Obi-Wan continues. “I thought we’ve agreed on one bodyguard only?” he asks, now holding the empty cup of tea in his hand.

“Yeah, I know! This is a… special kind of circumstances, I guess.” Anakin says, also staring at the so-called bodyguard he’s hired, Jango Fett.

Oh, and did he forget to say? The fact that Fett came in biker gear is not even the most bizarre thing, considering there is a  _ child _ wearing a tiny suit and a menacing glare he levels at Anakin in particular, standing next in place to the so-called bodyguard. Honestly, the child looks more like a bodyguard with his arms crossed in front of his chest and the disdain he exudes. 

If Obi-Wan didn't know any better, he would’ve thought Anakin is playing a practical joke. Instead, his charge looks just as perplexed as he is. Good. 

Sending Anakin a pointed look, Obi-Wan watches in interest as his student proceeds to cough awkwardly. It successfully catches the other duo's attention. 

“Mr. Fett.” Anakin calls, breaking the weird silence they maintained close to 15 minutes. Fett uncrosses his arms, settling them on his hips as he faces their direction. Still no sign of taking off the helmet, it seems. 

“And er… Fett Junior?” Anakin cringes, as the little boy’s glare gets even icier.

Obi-Wan sighs. 

“We’ve talked before on the phone. I’m Anakin Skywalker.” Anakin continues, using his height to avoid looking at the mini-bodyguard. “And this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, the one I’ve hired you for.” Anakin gestures to Obi-Wan with a sweep of his hand. 

“Pleasure, Mr. Fett.” Obi-Wan smiles. “And you too, little one.” He continues, sending a warm smile to the boy. His glare doesn’t soften, but he seems more less likely to attack at any given moment, relaxing the slightest. 

Obi-Wan’s smile widens. 

"So…" Anakin starts again, and trails off. He can't seem to focus on where to look, and ends up grimacing at Obi-Wan with a shrug. 

Obi-Wan shakes his head. Obviously this part has been delegated back to him once again. So he tries to get a feel of how this is heading. 

“Mr. Fett, I hope Anakin has informed you that your job will entail guarding me only on public events, including press conferences, premieres, and possible meet and greets. A schedule will be sent to you beforehand by my manager, Cody. And I’m happy to tell you this building actually has a daycare for your little one when you are at work, Mr. Fett.” Obi-Wan explains. His last sentence causes the boy to scowl fiercely at him. Obi-Wan blinks. The progress he made is effectively useless, then.

“Jango.” 

Obi-Wan tears his eyes back to the bodyguard as he asks, “Pardon?”

“Jango is fine. Kenobi, right?” Jango says, moving his arm to unlatch his helmet in one swift move. Once his face is visible, Obi-Wan’s first thought is that the boy  _ must _ be his son. They are very similar, and Obi-Wan can already picture the boy’s face to turn more and more like Jango as he gets older. 

He is at least Obi-Wan’s age, possibly older with dark skin and pronounced eyebrows. His hair is cut very short, and it reminds Obi-Wan of a soldier once again. A former military, perhaps. 

“Ah, yes.” Obi-Wan answers, his eyes unwittingly goes over the child. Jango follows his gaze and offers an explanation.

“This is my son, Boba. And he’ll be coming with me on the job. I’m afraid that’s non-negotiable.” He deadpans.

Obi-Wan frowns. Taking a child doesn’t seem productive nor safe while guarding a celebrity, let alone in the face of a stalker threat. Obi-Wan’s first thought is to argue, but Anakin beats him to it.

“What? That’s dangerous! Not to mention we have quite a situation right now.” Anakin says, looking at Jango like he’s wondering if Jango is fit to be a guardian. 

“I’m aware, Mr. Skywalker. But Boba is more than capable of taking care of himself, and he’s been with me on the job since he was younger than this. If this is unacceptable, I would have no choice and turn down this job.” Jango says while maintaining a pleasant, but firm tone. Obi-Wan can clearly see the steely determination in his eyes, the same fire mirrored in Boba’s own.

Obi-Wan turns to look at Anakin who is visibly conflicted by this ultimatum. Silently, Anakin asks him about what to do through his raised eyebrow.

Obi-Wan considers the situation once again, a hand stroking his beard in contemplation. 

It is highly unusual, and even unheard of, he supposes. Knowing Anakin, he must’ve went and searched for the best bodyguard out there. And if it was Jango, who came in a 2-in-1 deal with Boba? Jango is beyond confident in Boba and his ability to take care of himself, and that in itself is saying something, right?

Obi-Wan understands the need to bring a child into work, especially for a single parent. He’s not going to assume anything, because he himself had taken Anakin everywhere when they were younger as he couldn’t trust  _ anyone  _ to handle Anakin. It changed, of course, when he got a manager and Anakin himself went into the entertainment world much like he did. 

If anything, maybe Obi-Wan can have Cody to keep an eye on the child. Cody never said it out loud, but Obi-Wan knows he views himself as an older brother to most of the crew around here. Maybe it would de-stress him too, if he can play with children once in a while. 

With that in mind, Obi-Wan turns his gaze to Anakin, and he nods. 

Anakin doesn’t question his decision, but he did wait for a second to see if Obi-Wan would change his mind last minute. 

When he doesn’t, Anakin addresses Jango. “Right. I think that could be arranged.” He says. 

“Well, then. Welcome aboard.” Anakin continues, now grinning.

Obi-Wan could only hope that this is not a spectacular mistake in the making. 


	2. The Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a flashback of the stalker situation. takes place before chapter 1. 
> 
> warning: discussion of an attempt of physical assault. nothing graphic tho.

"You did what?!" Anakin shrieks. It’s a good thing they are in Obi-Wan’s dressing room where the walls are rather thick and not in a more public area. It allows Anakin to properly convey his disapproval of Obi-Wan’s morning adventure. Loudly.

Obi-Wan is annoyingly calm. He is sipping his tea as if he hadn't just told Anakin the most ridiculous thing his mentor had done to this date. "I just asked him to release me, of course." 

"And escort you back to the police." Anakin says in a flat tone.

Obi-Wan sighs. "I did. But he's very reluctant at that."

Kriff, Obi-Wan can be too reckless sometimes, and this is coming from _him_ , the resident trouble maker. This is the third time this week that his mentor had noticed someone suspiciously following him around near his apartment. And instead of being rational, he decided to _confront_ the man, and he even went as far as asking him to stop his creepy activity. Politely, of course, because this is Obi-Wan. But the fan (stalker?) got antsy and tried to grab Obi-Wan by the arm instead. Anakin will have to thank Cody for his insistence on taking rigorous self-defense training that allowed Obi-Wan to slip away from the assailant’s grip-- then apparently asked the perpetrator to escort him to the police while he was at it. It makes as much sense as bantha fodder. 

To add to the ridiculousness of it all, Obi-Wan seems to be the one who’s least worried about this whole thing, which only fuels the raging headache Anakin is having. He can’t even imagine how  _ Cody _ feels regarding all this mess. The man must be ready to snap like a cheap rubber band any day now.

So of course Anakin has to ask, while crossing his arms in front of his chest, “And what does Cody think about all of this, huh?” 

Obi-Wan huffs at the question. He doesn’t quite squirm, but Anakin knows his mentor is unhappy with where this is going. Obi-Wan is supposed to be the sane one here, but apparently the universe disagrees.

“Cody,” Obi-Wan begins, stubbornly holding on to his empty cup, “Is threatening to halt all of my on-going schedule if I don’t file for a report to the police.” He replies, frowning deeply as he says that.

“Good thinking.” Anakin comments, only to be glared by Obi-Wan. “You know that he’s right, don’t you? This is getting dangerous, and Cody wouldn’t be at fault if he decides to bench you for the time being.” He says, raising an eyebrow because there is stubbornness and there is  _ this _ . Obi-Wan, of all people, should have known better.

"That's just Cody being overprotective, Anakin." Obi-Wan says in lieu of an answer, shaking his head. 

"Yeah, and this is  _ you  _ we're talking about _.  _ Of course he's worried!" Anakin raises his voice, his patience straining under Obi-Wan’s blatant disregard for his safety. 

Really, and people still wonder where he got his hard-headedness from when Obi-Wan is right  _ there.  _

"What does that mean now?" Obi-Wan frowns, his mouth turning downward unhappily. If Anakin doesn't know any better, he'd think that his mentor is pouting. 

Anakin knows that Obi-Wan doesn't like troubling people, preferring to offer his help for others instead. But what Obi-Wan doesn't realize is that people actually  _ want _ to help him. He's surrounded by people who love him, people who respect and genuinely care about his well-being.

Take Cody, for example. He is easily the most loyal person to Obi-Wan, and definitely one of the best managers Anakin has ever seen his entire career. If Anakin knows Cody, and he likes to think that he does, the man must be tearing at his hair right now, efficiently trying to increase the security around Obi-Wan's apartment and such. 

Anakin doesn't doubt that Cody must have tried multiple times to convince Obi-Wan to lay low and cancel his schedule for the time being to no avail. But then again, Obi-Wan  _ hates _ disappointing people, and he especially doesn't want to disappoint his fans.

He is also not one for an elaborate lifestyle, preferring to stay under the radar whenever he wasn't shooting or promoting his movie. Obi-Wan must hate the idea of strangers tagging along during his down time, always watching at his back and possibly hindering him from interacting with his fans. But this stalker situation is really getting more and more serious. If they're not careful, things could easily take an ugly turn. 

"Just-" Anakin gestures helplessly, knowing that he can't push Obi-Wan now since it would be useless. "-be more careful, okay? Cody and I can't watch you for 24/7, Obi-Wan." He says, voice turning upset even to his own ears. 

Which is maybe why Obi-Wan smiles empathetically and puts down his tea, angling himself to face Anakin. He reaches a palm to squeeze Anakin's closed fist. "I wouldn't dream of that. I can take care of myself, Anakin." He reassures, voice gentle and his eyes crinkling with genuine happiness. 

Anakin rolls his eyes. Yeah,  _ right _ . He would definitely need to persuade Obi-Wan to take a break later and possibly prepare a statement or something for the police report, as well as checking things around Obi-Wan's apartment. He needs to ask Rex to find a list of security companies too for celebrity bodyguards. Preferably four of them.

But for now he just squeezes his mentor's hand back, taking comfort in knowing that Obi-Wan is safe for the time being.

He will later regret being so accurate with his gut feeling as the stalker situation finally rears its ugly head. 

* * *

Cody was practically running the next week on the Agency's building, out of breath and wild-eyed as he skids in front of Anakin's dressing room. “Sir! T-there is a  _ situation! _ With Obi-Wan!” He gasped, chest heaving. 

Cody likes his rules and proper manners, and Anakin has never really managed to get him to drop the whole 'Sir' thing. Cody is worse than Obi-Wan sometimes. 

Blinking in surprise, Anakin shares a confused look with Rex. “What’s going on, Cody? Where is Obi-Wan?” He asks, feeling cold terror starting to coil inside his heart at the sight of Cody, usually as proper as Obi-Wan, looking frenzied up and panicking.

Rex put a hand on Cody’s shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. “Take a breath,  _ vod.  _ What happened?” He sounded calm, but Anakin can feel the growing agitation in him as he speaks. 

“Someone tried to murder him.” Cody said, voice so breathy and grave that Anakin involuntarily takes a sharp inhale. 

“Where is he?” He croaks out, fist clenching at his side.

Cody slowly meets his gaze, an unreadable expression etches in it. "His apartment. The police are there, I told them to wait for me to fetch you.” 

No further prompting needed, Anakin turns on his heel to run to his mentor's apartment, vaguely aware of two sets of footsteps following not too far behind. 

Good gracious, Obi-Wan. What the  _ kriff? _

* * *

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin barges in once he’s in view of his mentor’s apartment, startling a couple of police officers talking near the door. One of them has the nerve to try and stop him.

“Sir, you can't--”

Cody interrupts before Anakin can get a nasty word out, holding up a palm. “He’s with me.” Cody says, eyes hard and voice full of authority, the officer actually backs down. 

Thank the stars for Cody.

Rushing inside, the sight that greeted him is Obi-Wan sitting on the sofa, his eyes closed. “I was out of sugar.” He says unprompted.

“What.” Anakin stops abruptly in his steps, Obi-Wan's words catching him off-guard. 

What is he even talking about?

“I thought I heard a girl screaming for help, alright? It was a deserted alley, and I had my phone!” Obi-Wan starts to say, his voice cracking in defensiveness as he finishes.

Okay, so Obi-Wan is  _ not  _ fine. At all. Crap. Anakin notices Rex hovering near the door, his manager giving him a nod. Probably saying that Anakin should be the one taking care of this, while he will go and calm Cody down. It's honestly a wonder that Cody isn't here by Obi-Wan's side right now, as opposed to what Anakin would have predicted the man would do. However, he quickly realizes it's more than likely that Cody fears he might not be able to stay calm near Obi-Wan, too full of worry and concerns. So Anakin nods back. Rex turns, closing the door behind him as Cody's voice can be heard snapping at the officer. 

Anakin edges closer to where Obi-Wan is sitting, taking care not to let the mix of his fear, worry, and anger show. Taking care of Obi-Wan is the number one priority, and they both don't need him getting overworked right now. "Hey, hey. It's okay. Start from the top, alright? You said you were… out of sugar?" Anakin lowers his voice, walking slowly so he can sit on the couch as well. 

Obi-Wan lets out a harsh sigh. From his place, Anakin can see the distress that presents themselves in Obi-Wan’s tense jaw and knitted eyebrows. Obi-Wan’s eyes flutter close again, as if he was reigning his emotions back. So Anakin waits. He doesn't want to interrupt Obi-Wan from from collecting himself.

This is giving him a flashback of their past, where Obi-Wan used to stay near him as Anakin sobbed over visions of his mother, so far away and incapable of giving him the love he needed so much. Those nights were usually spent on the couch, Obi-Wan stroking his hair and just  _ staying _ there. 

And now Anakin has the chance to do the same for him. Funny how life works out.

"I was making tea." Obi-Wan says after a minute, turning his gaze to the coffee table, which is unusually barren of his favorite beverage. "Which reminds me, do you want some tea? I'm getting some tea." Obi-Wan says, already pushing himself off of the couch and walking to the kitchen. 

"No, thanks." Anakin calls out. The voices outside are subsiding, which is a good sign. If anyone can effectively calm Cody down, it would definitely be Rex. 

Obi-Wan comes back with a steaming cup in his hands, his gaze far away. “I was going to the shop to get some sugar.” He begins, eyes full of sorrow as he looks at his tea in contemplatiom. “But then I heard a scream coming from an alley. I didn’t think and I--” He closes his mouth. Opens them again, and ultimately snaps them shut.

After sitting back down and setting the tea safely on the table, he starts again. “There was a man, threatening her with a knife. Apparently, she caught him following  _ me  _ around and taking pictures, and she decided to confront him. It was incredibly dangerous of her, and I don’t want to think about what would happen if I hadn’t responded to her screams.” Obi-Wan frowns. 

Anakin feels the anger he'd kept at bay to return with a vengeance. He recalled how Obi-Wan had to take a break for 2 weeks before Cody let him go out. They thought the stalker would give up after all. But now he's  _ threatening _ innocent people? 

Screw reputation and tabloids. Anakin is going to deal with the scumbag himself if he sees him. Unlike Obi-Wan, Anakin would gladly punch the man with no reservation.

"He claimed to be a fan." Obi-Wan says so quietly that Anakin almost misses it. 

“What? That’s insane! He’s literally a stalker! Oh, kriff-- he's the same one you met last week, isn't he?!”

Obi-Wan sends him a long-suffering look, and nods minutely. 

Anakin clenches his eyes shut, dragging a palm tiredly across his face. He  _ knew _ they should have done something more when Obi-Wan first caught him. Now the stalker’s gotten to him  _ twice _ and Anakin is more than ready to take some drastic measures of his own, alongside with Cody’s ban on Obi-Wan’s schedule. Add to the fact that the scum had preyed near Obi-Wan’s apartment means it’s not safe to stay here anymore. Crap, they have to move Obi-Wan far, far away from here. 

“I tried talking him down, and… he asked for my phone in exchange for the girl.” Obi-Wan takes a breath. Anakin recalled Obi-Wan's jumbled explanation earlier. Now the puzzle is starting to fit together. That must ve why he couldn't call for help at the time. Knowing Obi-Wan, he wouldn't have hesitated to give himself up if it meant he could save the girl. 

“I complied, and he released her, thankfully. She got away safely too." Obi-Wan smiles tiredly. Anakin sighs, the tension leaving him slightly now that he knows both Obi-Wan and the girl that safe. 

"It got more troubling after that, unfortunately. He didn't try to chase her, which was very good, but he  _ did _ start talking to me about this… idea in his head that we were meant to be somehow and that I should be with him.” Obi-Wan recounts, voice grave and quiet. The tea he brewed is growing cold by the minute, just sitting there on the table, but Anakin doesn't think he's going to drink it anytime soon. 

Anakin reaches a hand and squeezes Obi-Wan's palm reassuringly, trying to ground his mentor back to the present. Obi-Wan is clearly shaken up from the encounter, no matter how good he hides the signs. And Anakin will definitely stay around to help after this, as he is sure that Rex will allow him to.

Obi-Wan gives him a grateful, if albeit a little strained smile. “Thankfully the girl came back with the police before he could do anything else. They scared him away.” He murmurs, not looking at Anakin. “Her name is Numa. She’s a very brave girl." He continues immediately, as if he doesn't want to dwell on the fact that the man is still out there. Anakin is tempted to go down to the police office and demand they do something about this.

"Obi-Wan…" Anakin says, not sure if he can sufficiently convey just how glad he is to have Obi-Wan here, safe and sound, without a single scratch. 

Obi-Wan lets out a tiny smile again. "I'm alright, Anakin." He reassures, as if  _ he _ wasn't the one being threatened by a  _ stalker _ with a damn knife. His eyes are unusually bright under the light, but there are no actual tears in those eyes. But taking care of people is how Obi-Wan likes to operate, so Anakin takes his assurance with a hearty nod because he knows Obi-Wan can take comfort from this.

Anakin also knows, after practically being raised by Obi-Wan, that the man sometimes tends to bottle up his feelings, and would rarely (if ever) let it out. So this is certainly one of those times Obi-Wan will try and repress those fears and worries deep inside of him where the light won't ever shine on them, and Anakin will not have any of it. 

He swears he's going to keep Obi-Wan (and Ahsoka. And Rex. And Cody.  _ Everyone _ ) safe, and he's especially going to help Obi-Wan recover from this incident.

With that in mind, Anakin scoots just a little bit closer. He opens his arms and gestures, asking for permission. 

Obi-Wan looks faintly amused as he says, "Come here, Ani."

Anakin breaks into a grin, and immediately closes the gap to embrace Obi-Wan in a tight hug, one that is returned just as tightly. 

"I'm so glad you're alright." He murmurs, and feels Obi-Wan's shoulders slump, along with his head. A content little sigh escapes him.

"Me too, Anakin." Obi-Wan replies quietly.

Anakin closes his eyes, relishing in the moment a little longer before he has to draw up a security plan for Obi-Wan. 

What a kriffing mess.

"Hey, listen. I've been talking with Rex about finding some bodyguards…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> protective anakin is my jam, hell yeah.
> 
> i know i said we'll get more Boba in this chapter, but i realized this one should go up first, i'm sorry :( also, the angst kinda sneaked in here somehow lol. we'll be back with more fluff the next chapter!!
> 
> again, thankyou for reading and stay safe everyone <33


	3. The Consequences

The press are bustling outside, the thrums of their voices echoing through the halls. At times like this, Obi-Wan always thinks of them rather like a mob of hungry sharks trying to tear their way into him. Truly it is one of his most detested moments.

It is just through his rotten luck that somehow, someone had gotten a photo of him in the police station, and a few more of Cody looking extremely panicked and ?, and they were leaked to the masses. 

Cody had put a statement up, saying that everything was fine and  _ Obi-Wan  _ is fine, but the calls were getting very headache-inducing and, frankly, Obi-Wan wants to assure everyone himself that he is really, truly fine. 

Hence the press conference. This way, they can thwart all of the stray rumors at once and stop the increasingly ridiculous hypothetical situation the internet has cooked up. Obi-Wan couldn't open the web for  _ days _ in fear of those rumours. Now this press conference is going to be a small, simple one. Obi-Wan isn't even going to stay for too long, at Cody's insistence that he should be "taking a break", but he is going to stay on the side for a little while and let Cody handle all the talking. Cody will explain that Obi-Wan is fine, maybe they will take a couple of questions, and then they can all go to lunch together. Easy.

"Okay,  _ adi'ka.  _ Like we've practiced, alright?" Jango says, putting on his helmet. Then he pats down his side where his gun is hidden, and down to the pocket of his pants. They are holed in Obi-Wan's dressing room in preparation after securing the parameters. Well,  _ Jango _ secured them. Boba stayed with Obi-Wan and Anakin while his father did that. 

And now Anakin is outside with both Rex and Cody, making sure things are going to plan. But Anakin will stay to watch later, concealed at the back with a complete disguise as to not excite the press even more.

Next to him, Boba nods, his little face turning serious in an instant. Obi-Wan does not like where this is going. 

"Jango, this is completely unnecessary-- And to bring Boba as well! I think I can handle the press by myself just fine." Obi-Wan finds himself arguing. He tries to lower his voice so Boba won't hear him, but it's really futile with the small space here. 

The boy in question rolls his eyes at the words. " _ Cody _ is going to handle the press. You're just there as proof, and  _ we  _ are there to handle the crowd." He says haughtily, expression sharp.

Obi-Wan frowns. He doesn't want Boba to get caught in the middle of this. Especially with those hungry and rather vicious reporters out there jostling and shoving at each other, trying to get a closer look at him. 

And he needs them to know this. "Boba, I understand that you--" He starts.

"Obi-Wan." Jango interrupts. Which is a good thing, really, because Boba is close to scowling by now and he knows Boba won’t hesitate to kick him if provoked enough, much like he did to Anakin.

Obi-Wan turns his gaze to the older Fett, and he can just imagine the unimpressed look on Jango's face behind his helmet. 

"He's fine. He knows to stay out of the trample zone and watch from afar. Boba's been with me on many gigs, we can handle this." Jango says patiently. Boba nods proudly at the words, obviously pleased with his father's faith in him.

Obi-Wan chews his lips in contemplation. He's tempted to rake his hand across his beard, but he has a feeling Kix won't take kindly to him messing them up.

"Fine." He agrees reluctantly, shaking his head. "But," he adds, frowning at the grin forming on Boba's face, "Promise me you won't go near them." 

The boy nods solemnly, and his eyes shine with determination. Truly, Obi-Wan is surrounded with children equipped with puppy eyes  _ everywhere _ . It is incredibly difficult to resist them.

"And stay near Anakin, please." He sighs, not wanting to know what exactly is Anakin doing right now. Hopefully he has the sense to wrangle Rex together with him as his impulse control before jumping into anything. And knowing that his student is with his trusted managers, combined with Jango on guard, has him relaxing slightly. 

"Let's go." He says, nodding to the pair.

* * *

The best of plans, however, always tends to go pear-shaped in Obi-Wan's life.

“Oh, Mace is going to kill me.” Obi-Wan moans, watching the chaos unravel in the background, his hands firm on Boba’s shoulder. He can already imagine his agent’s massive frown and disapproving glare following him at the news of his press conference going up in flames (thankfully  _ not _ in the literal sense).

“Who’s Mace?” Boba asks sharply, turning his glare towards Obi-Wan. 

He sighs, shaking his head. What on earth would happen if Mace were to meet Boba? They would either get along spectacularly, or it would end up in a disaster. Like this one, perhaps. Obi-Wan prays that he will never have to witness that meeting, ever.

"That's quite the entourage you have there, Obi-Wan." A deep voice calls as Obi-Wan skids in the middle of a deserted hallway he'd led Boba to.

He turns, stopping Boba on his track as well to see at the newcomer. "Ah, Mentor Plo." Obi-Wan sighs in relief, shoulder slumping as they only encounter Plo Koon and not a stray reporter. Thank the Heavens for small mercies.

"I'm afraid Anakin's been rather worried lately." Obi-Wan smiles slightly, gesturing his head to the chaos that he’d just barely left in explanation. 

Good grief, that was one chaotic press conference. Cody had reinstated the official statement, and Obi-Wan smiled and said that he's perfectly alright, but the jerk from Hutt tabloid chased them with accusations of assault and of endangering a girl's life-- and everything just went downhill from there. Seeing the crowd's unrest, Cody signaled discreetly to Rex across the room to get ready for some crowd control. Anakin looked antsy too, standing next to Rex, and Obi-Wan fervently wished he'd just turned around and  _ went away _ from the reporters before he started to say something scandalous.

They started shouting and screaming once Cody tried to remove Obi-Wan from the stage, and from there, the whole ravenous mob of shark \came to life as they shoved and pushed at each other to try and follow him.

Jango had slipped closer to him in the middle of all of this until he can clasp Obi-Wan's arm and send him away with Boba in tow, cursing and saying something about staying tight with Boba. Obi-Wan took it in stride, half-guiding and half-shielding Boba away from the budding chaos. Thankfully, the boy didn't seem too scared and tugged Obi-Wan to walk faster instead.

He hopes now that Jango isn’t doing anything reckless out there. He also needs to send Cody and Rex a text later to make sure that Anakin isn’t ruining his reputation in front of the press. Hopefully the two of them will be freed quickly enough out of herding those press from the building. He will have to buy them some nice dinner later, he reminds himself. 

The noise outside is starting to subside as they power-walked away, a testament to the twins’ ability to reign control over the masses. What a peculiar coincidence then, to find Plo Koon here of all places. And without his manager Wolffe, at that. He probably heard of the commotion and intended to find out what happened.

Plo Koon hums thoughtfully, a hand under his face. "I must say that I actually agree with your student's discretion this time, Obi-Wan." He says with a meaningful look. 

Obi-Wan makes a pained face at the gentle jab. If Plo Koon thinks Anakin is right, that means Obi-Wan is really more fucked than he thought. Near his feet, a blur of something steps forward, valiantly blocking Obi-Wan from Plo Koon's view. Only barely, though, considering Boba's height and thus his ability to shield Obi-Wan from the much taller Plo Koon.

Seeing the child, Plo Koon bends a little to Boba's level and says, "And who might you be, little one?" 

"I'm Boba Fett, and I'm here to guard  _ him." _ The boy says, jerking his chin towards Obi-Wan pointedly, glaring at Plo Koon.

The sight would have been very funny if Obi-Wan doesn't feel so drained from the kerfuffle he's just escaped. Sighing, Obi-Wan puts a hand on Boba's shoulder, noticing the way his body straightens to attention at the touch. "Forgive him, Mentor Plo. He's the son of my new bodyguard, Jango Fett. Fett is… currently occupied elsewhere." Obi-Wan says carefully, not thinking of him and Anakin at all. 

"He is a bit protective, I'm afraid." Obi-Wan adds, now locking gaze with Boba's stubborn ones.

Plo Koon hums appreciatively, kneeling further to match the boy's height. "I can see that you’re very brave, young one. I'm sure Obi-Wan will be safe in your capable hands." He says with the utmost sincerity. Obi-Wan is reminded, once again, how paternal Plo Koon can be.

Obi-Wan almost groaned out loud. He doesn't need Boba’s protective strike to grow even more. How is he ever going to be able to go anywhere in peace now? No one would let Obi-Wan go anywhere without supervision at this point.

Not noticing Obi-Wan's internal struggle, Boba puffs his chest proudly. "Of course I am! Now please move because we're late to a _very_ _important_ lunch meeting." He says, so much certainty in his voice that Obi-Wan cannot hold back the impulse to drag a palm over his face. Really, what in the world did Jango teach this boy? Anakin wasn't even near his level when he was younger.

Plo Koon looks at Obi-Wan, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know you are so busy, Obi-Wan." He must’ve known that Cody wouldn’t schedule anything big right after a press conference. A huge, disastrous one at that.

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "No, Mentor Plo. We're just going to Dex's to grab lunch." He sighs, giving Boba a disappointed gaze. 

It was their designated rendezvous point, seeing as Dex is very,  _ very, _ good at keeping paparazzi and reporters alike from his diner. It is also a perfect spot to have lunch, and Obi-Wan can testify just how delicious Dex's meals are. Dex opens the back door especially for him (that he never does to anyone). A special corner of the diner is always reserved, with a small booth dubbed as Obi-Wan's. It's terribly sweet and Obi-Wan couldn't be more grateful for Dex and his generous friendship.

Boba, for his part, only turns to give him an accusing glare, but he doesn't say anything further. So Obi-Wan takes the liberty to steer the conversation away. "I apologize, Mentor Plo. I'm sure Boba is just very hungry." He smiles, pointedly not looking at the child.

Boba, the menace, gasps dramatically at that. 

Oh, this one might be Anakin's influence, alright. 

He's about to retort Obi-Wan's words when a laugh comes from Plo Koon. "You two make a good pair, Obi-Wan. He's a suitable stand-in for Anakin." Plo Koon comments, because he  _ did  _ witness Anakin Skywalker's protective strike in his colorful youth. 

Obi-Wan knows too, on the back of his head, that Plo Koon wouldn’t hesitate to take Boba under his wings in a heartbeat if the boy wasn't so fiercely attached to Obi-Wan.

So he smiles, remembering Anakin's annoyed face and Boba's glare as he says, "Yes, I agree. Anakin  _ does _ share some qualities with 12 years olds. Including the dramatics." He ruffles Boba’s hair as he says that, noting that the boy doesn’t move away from his touch.

Plo Koon rises elegantly, straightening his outfit. "Well, then. Don't let me hold you for your 'important' lunch meeting, Obi-Wan." He says, eyes twinkling with mirth and amusement.

"Boba." Plo Koon inclines his head towards the boy, who humphs but nods back eventually, leaving them alone in the halls. 

They stand there silently for some time, watching Plo Koon's back disappear around a corner. Then Obi-Wan looks at Boba, offering a hand. "Come along, Boba." 

"I'm going to have to talk with your father soon." He mutters to himself, letting the boy drag him away from the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ta-da! this is the scene that inspired the whole boydguard thing haha :D a tiny, glaring boba and dad!plo koon. this is going to be the end of the bodyguard prompt for a while while i write about others in this universe, including Assaj Ventress in the next chapter! 
> 
> thankyou for reading and stay save everyone <3

**Author's Note:**

> so a little about this universe: as you can see, there is no force. the jedi councils are more-or-less acting coaches (mentor) and their padawans are their students. obi-wan is a big time celeb here and anakin is the rising star! i hope it's not too weird that jango wants to take boba with him on the job, because i'm visioning clone wars boba being a baby badass lol we'll see more of him in the next one!  
> come say hi to me on tumblr @bluexbell <33
> 
> until then, thankyou for reading!!


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